Johnny Depp In Talks for INTO THE WOODS Movie- Page 3

[Wildcard]

Posted: 4/26/13 at 8:40pm

Don't forget, in Sweeney Todd, he and Helena were directed to play the characters as more somber and dark. While Helena wasn't the best singer, she was acceptable in Les Mis. I think Rob Marshall can bring a more colorful out of Mr. Depp.

[artscallion]

Posted: 4/26/13 at 8:49pm

Imagine if this is a big enough hit for Disney that there ends up being an Into the Woods ride and characters at Disney's theme parks.

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 4/26/13 at 9:19pm

Disney essentially has most of these characters in the parks already and I DOUBT they'd have multiple versions of Cinderella and Rapunzel (and their respective princes) walking around.

Though, depending on the film's success, I could see meet-and-greets with the Witch, Jack or even Little Red.

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/26/13 at 9:24pm

Depp as the Baker will really sezl the deal for me not spending a dime to see this in a theater. I like him as an actor but now they ard messing with one of my all time favorite musicals. At most, I will borrow it, and August Osage, when they come out on dvd.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 4/26/13 at 10:24pm

Isn't Depp kind of old to play the Baker, too?

[broadwaybabywannabe2]

Posted: 4/26/13 at 10:53pm

I LOVE JOHHNY DEPP AS THE BAKER...

what about Jennifer Lawrence as Cinderella?...she looks so perfect for the role and she can act...does anyone know if she can sing?...can u imagine if she could...OMG!!!...SHEAR HEAVEN!

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 4/26/13 at 11:41pm

I'm totally down with Depp, he's a great Actor and he can kinda sing.
I think it also means they can now get more A-listers.

It's Marshall I'm still worried about.

The good thing about Sondheim is that allows the movies of his works to be new different entities, not copies or reproductions of the Stage shows.

I pray the script works.

Updated On: 4/27/13 at 11:41 PM

[Playbilly]

Posted: 4/26/13 at 11:52pm

I officially hope this never gets made. Depp will just make the Baker another of his quirky characters. He always accentuates the wacky aspects of his roles. He seldom plays a human being.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 4/26/13 at 11:59pm

Seth Rudetsky said that Sondheim fans would be pleased with the casting. I wonder if he was referring to the fans of the 'Sweeney Todd' film.

"Annoyingly, I promised I would keep it a secret, but I think Sondheim fans will be pleased."

http://www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/article/176962-ONSTAGE-BACKSTAGE-Seth-Chats-With-Len-Cariou-Joanna-Gleason-and-Into-the-Woods-Director-Rob-Marshall

"Disney essentially has most of these characters in the parks already and I DOUBT they'd have multiple versions of Cinderella and Rapunzel (and their respective princes) walking around. "

For its 'Alice in Wonderland' characters, they stick to Walt Disney version and do not include anyone from the Tim Burton version.

[bobs3]

Posted: 4/27/13 at 12:00am

You are confusing the Johnny Depp of the Pirates films and Tim Burton fluff films with the Johnny Depp who who takes serious roles and finds the humanity in the characters -- Edward Scissorhands, What's Eating Gilbert Grape?, Finding Neverland, Nick of Time, Donnie Brasco, Don Juan DeMarco, Chocolat, Blow, The Libertine and even Sweeney Todd (before the character goes mad). Depp is a good enough actor to strike the right balance between comedy and pathos in the role of the Baker.

Updated On: 4/27/13 at 12:00 AM

[broadwaybabywannabe2]

Posted: 4/27/13 at 12:17am

Playbilly btw I love your avatar pic...PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE...a very underrated movie, and one I will always remember as I worked for 20th Century Films when it premiered back in 1974...I actually got to do a sound check at the old and now long gone National Theatre in Westwood before the first showing of the film ...

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 4/27/13 at 1:44am

I'm really not happy with this. Depp's more recent work has been really subpar and he seems to be giving variations on the same performance in every film he does now. I think he is capable of brilliance, but his performance in Sweeney Todd was such a massive letdown that him as the Baker would be enough to keep me away from this.

Then again, I think Marshall is probably enough to keep a lot of people away, given the hack job he did on Nine.

[binau]

Posted: 4/27/13 at 1:52am

I loved him in Sweeney Todd (so did many on this forum at the time actually - it seems there is a growing SWEENEY backlash). But after seeing the trailer for THE LONE RANGER I know what you mean about giving variations of the same performance. However, best12bars is right that FINDING NEVERLAND shows he can play a 'normal' person. So I'm still going to give him a chance.


With Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp and Disney attached this film I personally predict the complete opposite to a lot of people staying away. Let me be the first one to prematurely claim the highest grossing movie musical of all time.

Updated On: 4/27/13 at 01:52 AM

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 4/27/13 at 2:00am

"I think Marshall is probably enough to keep a lot of people away, given the hack job he did on Nine."

I thought he did a great job as the director of the 1999 TV film, 'Annie'.

[broadwaybabywannabe2]

Posted: 4/27/13 at 3:34am

marshall directed CHICAGO TO 6 WSCARS so he can direct given good material...and INTO THE WOODS IS GREAT MATERIAL

[kieranbec]

Posted: 4/27/13 at 4:52am

My money's on him playing the wolf and (if double cast) Cinderella's Prince.

[best12bars]

Posted: 4/27/13 at 6:38am

I'm getting whiplash from this premature, we-don't-have-the-facts news.

He's playing the Baker, he's playing the Wolf, no, the Baker ...

All have links to articles. All articles, therefore, are full of crap.

I'll wait until they start filming and everyone's standing around in their costumes. Hopefully, by then, someone will accurately report the cast list.

[MusicalBoy]

Posted: 4/27/13 at 9:25am

I think this could be very interesting...

In my opinion, the Baker has never been cast (or possibly directed) very well since Chip Zien.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/27/13 at 9:48am

I would like to see Raul Esparza as The Baker.

[best12bars]

Posted: 4/27/13 at 9:51am

In most fantasies, there is at least one character who is grounded in real, honest emotions. Usually, the protagonist, but not always. Still it's like seeing a photo of a giant balloon with no frame of reference around it other than a solid blue sky. You can't tell how big or small it is. The assessment is thrown off unless there is something "down to scale" for comparison.

(Think about the giant ship of Titanic going across the screen in the movie. The only reason that shot has impact is because you see the tiny seagulls flying next to it, and then our minds understand the perspective. Otherwise, it could be 20 feet long or even less.)

The Baker and His Wife are the grounded characters in Into the Woods. Everyone else can be crazy and "out of proportion," but not them. They are the frame of reference for the audience to accept the others as larger-than-life.

Think about it:
Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz
Alice in Alice in Wonderland
Wendy in Peter Pan
Luke Skywalker in Star Wars
Frodo Baggins in Lord of the Rings

In Sweeney Todd, it's Anthony and (arguably) the Greek Chorus throughout the story. They provide the perspective.

Even satirical farces like "How To Succeed" need one grounded character (Rosemary) for perspective.

They are usually the heart and soul of the story. They can be surrounded by crazy, quirky, unrealistic characters or settings. But without them, audiences don't have their frame of reference, the impact will be lost without the juxtaposition, and ultimately, they will disconnect from what they're seeing.

Johnny Depp is a terrific actor, but is he willing to be the "normal" one (along with the Baker's Wife) in a room full of fairy-tale crazies? Or will the temptation to join in be too strong for him?

If he joins in, he will ruin this film.

(For some reason, I'm already picturing the first photo released to the public---a Chef-Boyardee-From-Hell Baker with green cat-eye contact lenses, bright blue hair, twirly red mustache, clown-white face, and toothy grin. That's the death knell, right there.)

Updated On: 4/27/13 at 09:51 AM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/27/13 at 10:19am

At least we know he'll use a fake British accent. So there's that...

[best12bars]

Posted: 4/27/13 at 10:43am

Sweet.

A Cockney Baker (Depp) and his Southern wife (Witherspoon).

Here they are, ladies and gentlemen:

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 4/27/13 at 12:14pm

They cannot cast Witherspoon now that Depp is involved, I feel like her Baker's Wife would just come off as annoyed and over it opposite Depp. Truth be told, it's hard to cast a female counterpart to Depp, he rarely gets cast in roles where he has a romantic interest anymore. The last few times, RUM DIARY and THE TOURIST, he had no chemistry with the female leads. He did have great, sweet chemistry with Kate Winslet in FINDING NEVERLAND and she'd be a wonderful Baker's Wife. Kristen Wiig was in contention to costar with him in Marshall's remake of THE THIN MAN so hopefully she is now being considered for this again.

[all that jazz]

Posted: 4/27/13 at 12:24pm

^ What about Keira Knightley? She has a lovely voice.

[Wynbish]

Posted: 4/27/13 at 12:27pm

I really could see Kate Winslet opposite him in this